Ten-year-old Zoe Elias, who longs to play the piano but must resign herself to learning the organ, instead finds that her musicianship has a positive impact on her workaholic mother, her jittery father, and her school social life.
A Million Miles from Boston by Karen Day
Seventh-grader Lucy is looking forward to a perfect summer at the Maine lake where her family has owned a cottage for decades, but her plans are put in jeopardy when the family of a classmate she dislikes buys a home there and her widowed father invites a girlfriend to visit.
Icefire by Chris D'Lacey
While researching the existence of dragons for an essay that could win him a trip to the Arctic, Chris opens himself to the possibility that a great, ancient treasure exists there, guarded by bears, and that he has some role in its protection.
Keeper by Kathy Appelt
Ten-year-old Keeper heads to a sandbar in a small boat along with her dog BD and a seagull named Captain in order to find her mother, a mermaid who left her when Keeper was only three.
The Kind of Friends We Used to Be by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Twelve-year-olds Kate and Marylin, friends since preschool, draw further apart as Marylin becomes involved in student government and cheerleading, while Kate wants to play guitar and write songs, and both develop unlikely friendships with other girls and boys.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate Dwight, as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future. Includes instructions for making Origami Yoda.
Almost Home by Joan Bauer
Sixth-grader Sugar and her mother lose their beloved house and experience the harsh world of homelessness.
Plunked by Michael Northrop
Sixth-grader Jack Mogens loses his nerve after getting hit by a pitch, and has to dig deep within himself to avoid giving up the sport he loves.
GRADES 6 AND UP
Realistic Fiction
Close to Famous by Joan Bauer
The residents of Culpepper, despite their grand aspirations, have made little progress toward achieving their goals, but unexpected events and surprises put the ambitions of the residents of Culpepper to the test.
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart
Frankie Landau-Banks attempts to take over a secret, all-male society at her exclusive prep school, and her antics with the group soon draw some unlikely attention and have unexpected consequences that could change her life forever.
Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead
Georges adjusts to moving from a house to an apartment, his father's efforts to start a new business, his mother's extra shifts as a nurse, being picked on at school, and Safer, a boy who wants his help spying on another resident of their building.
Losing It by Erin Frey
Tired of being obese and reeling from his father's recent stroke, thirteen-year-old Bennett joins the cross country team to find out if there is more to life
thanFrench fries.
Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
In love with the girl he sneezed on the first day of school and best pals with Marshall, the "One Eyed Jack" of friends, seventh-grader Milo Cruikshank misses his mother whose death has changed everything at home.
Shug by Jenny Han
Annemarie "Shug" Wilcox, facing junior high school, disgruntled with her appearance, and confused by changing relationships, decides there is nothing worse than being twelve-years-old.
Ungifted by Gordon Korman
Due to an administrative mix-up, troublemaker Donovan Curtis is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students, after pulling a major prank at middle school.
Fantasy
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Witch Sophie Mercer, having been sent to a reform school by her father after a prom night spell went horribly wrong, learns her roommate, who is the only vampire on campus, is the suspect in a series of attacks on students and sets out to find the real culprit.
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam GidwitzHansel and Gretel wander in and out of some of the grimmest of the Grimm's fairy tales. Will they survive? The witch and the gingerbread house were bad enough, but nothing compared to these adventures!
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
To free herself from an upcoming arranged marriage, Claudia, the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, a futuristic prison with a mind of its own, decides to help a young prisoner escape.
Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock
Princess Benevolence discovers an enchanted room while locked in the castle's highest tower by the conniving Queen Sophia and begins learning the magical arts, which may help her save her kingdom from a mortal threat.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The orphan Bod, short for Nobody, is taken in by the inhabitants of a graveyard as a child of eighteen months and raised lovingly and carefully to the age of eighteen years by the community of ghosts and otherworldly creatures.
Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father.
A Story Of Desi Ladki
He walked and see beautiful lady following Indian fashion and lifestyles.
Epic by Conor Kostick
On New Earth, a world based on a video role-playing game, fourteen-year-old Erik pursuades his friends to aid him in some unusual gambits in order to save Erik's father from exile and safeguard the futures of each of their families.
Science Fiction
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Twelve-year-old Liam, who looks like he is thirty and is tired of being treated like he is older than he actually is, decides he is going to pose as the adult chaperone on the first spaceship to take civilians into space, but when he ends up in outer space with a group of kids and no adult supervision, he must think fast to make things right.
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Sixteen-year-old Gwyneth Shepherd unexpectedly travels through time to the eighteenth century, and she must find out why her mother lied about her date of birth to hide her ability, research her history, and work with Gideon, another time traveler.
Dark Life by Kat Falls
When fifteen-year-old Ty, who has always lived on the ocean floor, joins Topside girl Gemma in the frontier's underworld to seek and stop outlaws who threaten his home, they learn that the government may pose an even greater threat.
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
In the not-too-distant future, when biotechnological advances have made synthetic bodies and brains possible but illegal, a seventeen-year-old girl, recovering from a serious accident and suffering from memory lapses, learns a startling secret about her existence.
The Roar by Emma Clayton
In an overpopulated world where all signs of nature have been obliterated and a wall has been erected to keep out plague-ridden animals, twelve-year-old Mika refuses to believe that his twin sister was killed after being abducted, and continues to search for her in spite of the dangers he faces in doing so.
Divergent by Veronica Roth
In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions
to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect
after all.
Historical Fiction
Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
Moose Flanagan, who lives on Alcatraz along with his family and the families of the other prison guards, is frightened when he discovers that gangster Al Capone wants a favor in return for the help that he secretly gave Moose.
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
In October, 1942, seventeen-year-old Helmuth Hübener, imprisoned for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, recalls his past life and how he came to dedicate himself to bring the truth about Hitler and the war to the German people.
The Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman
In 1949, thirteen-year-old Francine goes to Catholic school in Los Angeles where she becomes best friends with a girl who questions authority and is frequently punished by the nuns, causing Francine to question her own values.
The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner
In the late eighteenth-century, Sido, the twelve-year-old daughter of a self-indulgent marquis, and Yann, a fourteen-year-old Gypsy orphan raised to perform in a magic show, face a common enemy at the start of the French Revolution.
The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon
In 1968 Chicago, fourteen-year-old Sam Childs is caught in a conflict between his father's nonviolent approach to seeking civil rights for African-Americans and his older brother, who has joined the Black Panther Party.
Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle
Years afterwards, Ruben Hart tells the story of how, in 1929 Newport, Rhode Island, his family and his best friend's family were caught up in the violent competition among groups trying to control the local rum-smuggling trade.
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
After being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named Isabel spies for the rebels during the
Revolutionary War.
Mystery and Adventure
The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
Fifteen-year-old Eli, locked inside a radiation-proof compound built by his father to keep them safe following a nuclear attack, begins to question his future, as well as his father's grip on sanity as the family's situation steadily disintegrates over the course of six years.
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
When fifteen-year-old Bobby wakes up and finds himself invisible, he and his parents and his new blind friend Alicia try to find out what caused his condition and how to reverse it.
Trash by Andy Mulligan
A group of fourteen-year-old boys, who make a living picking garbage from the outskirts of a large city, finds something special and mysterious that brings terrifying consequences.
Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Jacobson
Abandoned by his mother in an Acadia National Park campground, Jack tries to make his way back to Boston before anyone figures out what is going on, with only a small toy elephant for company.
Peak by Roland Smith
A fourteen-year-old boy attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest.
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Fifteen-year-old Kat schemes her way into the best boarding school, hoping to leave the thieving antics of her family behind her, but Hal, a former co-conspirator, appears on campus to tell Kat that a powerful mobster believes her father stole art from a priceless collection, and in order to save him, Kat will have to recover the paintings.
Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans
Fourteen-year-old Michael discovers he has special electrical powers and, with the help of his best friends, becomes aware that there are other teens with similar powers, but something or someone is hunting them and, after Michael's mother is kidnapped, he will need to rely on his powers and his friends to rescue his mom, protect himself, and save the others.
Great Books Too Good
to Miss
Whirligig by Paul Fleishman
While traveling to each corner of the country to
build a whirligig inmemory of the girlwhose death he caused, sixteen-year-old Brian finds forgiveness and atonement.
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen
In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.
Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass
Ally, Bree, and Jack meet at Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, to watch a total eclipse of the sun; but soon they begin to learn a great deal about themselves, each other, and the universe.
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
When his younger brother is diagnosed with leukemia, thirteen-year-old Steven tries to deal with his complicated emotions, his school life, and his desire to support his family.
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
Doug Swieteck faces many challenges, including an abusive father, a brothertraumatized by Vietnam, suspicious teachers and police officers, and isolation, but when he meets a girl known as Lil Spicer, he develops a close relationship with her and finds a safe place at the local library.
Nonfiction
Can I See Your I.D.? True Stories of False Identities by Chris Barton
Ten stories of true crime, fraud, and adventure, including accounts of a fake Asian princess, master thief Frank Abagnale, and a teen who "stole" a subway in 1993.
The Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider's Guide to Careers in Fashion
Offers information and advice on careers in the fashion industry from "Teen Vogue," detailing the career paths of established professionals in the industry, and covering resumés, agencies, education, and other related topics.
Show Off: How to Do Everything One Step at a Time by Sarah Hines Stephens and Bethany Mann
Provides illustrated, step-by-step instruction to master various tricks and feats, and details how to draw manga, customize shoes, put an egg into a bottle, breed butterflies, read minds, concoct edible--fake--vomit, and more.
The 25 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time by Len Berman
Profiles twenty-five individuals chosen by the author and his panel of experts as the greatest baseball players of all time, and includes statistics, significant moments, and photographs.
Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin (National Book Award Finalist)
Examines the history of the atomic bomb, discussing the discovery of the behavior of uranium when placed next to radioactive material, the race to build a bomb, and the impact of the weapon on societies around the world.
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan adapted
by Richie Chevat
Examines the origins of the different food chains t
hat have sustained humans throughout history, discussing how certain foods and cuisines have become a popular part of people's daily diets.
World of the Weird by Tracey Turner
Provides facts and figures about some of the world's weirdest phenomena, covering plants and animals, Earth, encounters, the unexplained, science, minds, the human body, behavior, and things to do.
Zombie Makers by Rebecca L. Johnson
Examines real-life accounts of zombies in nature, including a fly-enslaving fungus, a suicide worm, and a cockroach-taming wasp, and related topics.
Sports Fiction Million Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica
Star quarterback Nate's family is stressed by the bad economy, as he worries about his best friend Abby going blind, so when he gets a chance to win a million dollars he is nearly overwhelmed by pressure to succeed.
Shutout by Halpin
Fourteen-year-old Amanda and her best friend Lena start high school looking forward to playing on the varsity soccer team, but when Lena makes varsity and Amanda only makes junior varsity, their long friendship rapidly changes.
Rivals by Tim Green
Twelve-year-old Josh looks forward to facing a true rival in the Baseball Hall of Fame
tournament, but first he and his friends Jaden and Benji put themselves at great risk trying to expose the truth about a conspiracy to bribe the head umpire.
The Running Dream by Van Dranaan
When a school bus accident leaves sixteen-year-old Jessica an amputee, she returns to school with a prosthetic limb and her track team finds a wonderful way to help rekindle her dream of running again.
Boost by Kathy Mackel
Thirteen-year-old Savvy's dreams of starting for her elite basketball team are in danger when she is accused of taking steroids.
Hoops by Walter Dean Myers
A teenage basketball player from Harlem is befriended by a former professional player who, after being forced to quit because of a point shaving scandal, hopes to prevent other young athletes from repeating his mistake.
Beyond Lucky by Sarah Aronson
Ari Fish is sure that the rare trading card he found has
changed his luck and that of his soccer team, but after the card is stolen he comes to know that we make our own luck, and that heroes can be fallible.
Graphic Novels
The P.L.A.I.N. Janes by Cecil Castelucci and Jim Rugg
After a bombing in the city, Jane's parents move to a suburb where she befriends three outcasts--all named Jane--and starts a group called People Loving Art in Neighborhoods, which tries to enrich their community with art but instead is viewed as a threat.
Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi
After moving to their ancestral home, Emily and Navin's mother is kidnapped by a tentacled creature in the basement that leads the children on a deadly chase into the magical world below their home.
Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Anya, embarrassed by her family and lacking confidence in her body and her social skills, finally finds a friend after falling down a well, but quickly learns there are drawbacks to having a ghost for a friend.
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
In this wordless graphic novel, a man leaves his homeland and sets off for a new country, where he must build a new life for himself and his family.
Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Callie rides an emotional roller coaster while serving on the stage crew for a middle school production of Moon over Mississippi as various relationships start and end, and others never quite get going.
Maus by Art Spiegelman
Memoir about Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe, and about his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father, his story, and with history itself. The first volume takes Spiegelman's parents to the gates of Auschwitz.
I Hate to Read The Dark Pond by Joseph Bruchac
After he feels a mysterious pull drawing him toward a dark, shadowy pond in the woods, Armie looks to old Native American tales for guidance about the dangerous monster lurking in the water.
Rewind by William SleatorNot long after learning that he was adopted, eleven-year-old Peter is hit by a car and then given several chances to alter events that could le
ad to his death.
Payback by Paul LanganBluford freshman Tyray Hobbs, the class bully and tormentor of Darrell Mercer, is determined to get revenge on Darrell, the only boy who ever stood up to Tyray.
Trapped by Michael NorthropSeven high school students are stranded at their New England high school
during a week-long blizzard that shuts down the power and heat, freezes the
pipes, and leaves them wondering if they will survive.
Shark Girl by Kelly BinghamAfter a shark attack causes the amputation of
her right arm, fifteen-year-oldJane, an aspiring artist, struggles to come to terms with her loss and the changes it imposes on her day-to-day life and her plans for the future.
GRADES 5 AND UP
A Crooked Kind of Perfect
by Linda Urban
Ten-year-old Zoe Elias, who longs to play the piano but must resign herself to learning the organ, instead finds that her musicianship has a positive impact on her workaholic mother, her jittery father, and her school social life.A Million Miles from Boston by Karen Day
Seventh-grader Lucy is looking forward to a perfect summer at the Maine lake where her family has owned a cottage for decades, but her plans are put in jeopardy when the family of a classmate she dislikes buys a home there and her widowed father invites a girlfriend to visit.Icefire by Chris D'Lacey
While researching the existence of dragons for an essay that could win him a trip to the Arctic, Chris opens himself to the possibility that a great, ancient treasure exists there, guarded by bears, and that he has some role in its protection.Keeper by Kathy Appelt
Ten-year-old Keeper heads to a sandbar in a small boat along with her dog BD and a seagull named Captain in order to find her mother, a mermaid who left her when Keeper was only three.The Kind of Friends We Used to Be by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Twelve-year-olds Kate and Marylin, friends since preschool, draw further apart as Marylin becomes involved in student government and cheerleading, while Kate wants to play guitar and write songs, and both develop unlikely friendships with other girls and boys.The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate Dwight, as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future. Includes instructions for making Origami Yoda.Almost Home by Joan Bauer
Sixth-grader Sugar and her mother lose their beloved house and experience the harsh world of homelessness.Plunked by Michael Northrop
Sixth-grader Jack Mogens loses his nerve after getting hit by a pitch, and has to dig deep within himself to avoid giving up the sport he loves.GRADES 6 AND UP
Realistic Fiction
Close to Famous by Joan Bauer
The residents of Culpepper, despite their grand aspirations, have made little progress toward achieving their goals, but unexpected events and surprises put the ambitions of the residents of Culpepper to the test.The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart
Frankie Landau-Banks attempts to take over a secret, all-male society at her exclusive prep school, and her antics with the group soon draw some unlikely attention and have unexpected consequences that could change her life forever.Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead
Georges adjusts to moving from a house to an apartment, his father's efforts to start a new business, his mother's extra shifts as a nurse, being picked on at school, and Safer, a boy who wants his help spying on another resident of their building.Losing It by Erin Frey
Tired of being obese and reeling from his father's recent stroke, thirteen-year-old Bennett joins the cross country team to find out if there is more to lifethanFrench fries.
Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
In love with the girl he sneezed on the first day of school and best pals with Marshall, the "One Eyed Jack" of friends, seventh-grader Milo Cruikshank misses his mother whose death has changed everything at home.Shug by Jenny Han
Annemarie "Shug" Wilcox, facing junior high school, disgruntled with her appearance, and confused by changing relationships, decides there is nothing worse than being twelve-years-old.Ungifted by Gordon Korman
Fantasy
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Witch Sophie Mercer, having been sent to a reform school by her father after a prom night spell went horribly wrong, learns her roommate, who is the only vampire on campus, is the suspect in a series of attacks on students and sets out to find the real culprit.A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam GidwitzHansel and Gretel wander in and out of some of the grimmest of the Grimm's fairy tales. Will they survive? The witch and the gingerbread house were bad enough, but nothing compared to these adventures!
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
To free herself from an upcoming arranged marriage, Claudia, the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, a futuristic prison with a mind of its own, decides to help a young prisoner escape.Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock
Princess Benevolence discovers an enchanted room while locked in the castle's highest tower by the conniving Queen Sophia and begins learning the magical arts, which may help her save her kingdom from a mortal threat.The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The orphan Bod, short for Nobody, is taken in by the inhabitants of a graveyard as a child of eighteen months and raised lovingly and carefully to the age of eighteen years by the community of ghosts and otherworldly creatures.Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father.A Story Of Desi Ladki
He walked and see beautiful lady following Indian fashion and lifestyles.
Epic by Conor Kostick
On New Earth, a world based on a video role-playing game, fourteen-year-old Erik pursuades his friends to aid him in some unusual gambits in order to save Erik's father from exile and safeguard the futures of each of their families.Science Fiction
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Twelve-year-old Liam, who looks like he is thirty and is tired of being treated like he is older than he actually is, decides he is going to pose as the adult chaperone on the first spaceship to take civilians into space, but when he ends up in outer space with a group of kids and no adult supervision, he must think fast to make things right.Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Sixteen-year-old Gwyneth Shepherd unexpeDark Life by Kat Falls
When fifteen-year-old Ty, who has always lived on the ocean floor, joins Topside girl Gemma in the frontier's underworld to seek and stop outlaws who threaten his home, they learn that the government may pose an even greater threat.Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
In the not-too-distant future, when biotechnological advances have made synthetic bodies and brains possible but illegal, a seventeen-year-old girl, recovering from a serious accident and suffering from memory lapses, learns a startling secret about her existence.The Roar by Emma Clayton
In an overpopulated world where all signs of nature have been obliterated and a wall has been erected to keep out plague-ridden animals, twelve-year-old Mika refuses to believe that his twin sister was killed after being abducted, and continues to search for her in spite of the dangers he faces in doing so.Divergent by Veronica Roth
In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factionsto define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect
after all.
Historical Fiction
Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
Moose Flanagan, who lives on Alcatraz along with his family and the families of the other prison guards, is frightened when he discovers that gangster Al Capone wants a favor in return for the help that he secretly gave Moose.The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
In October, 1942, seventeen-year-old Helmuth Hübener, imprisoned for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, recalls his past life and how he came to dedicate himself to bring the truth about Hitler and the war to the German people.The Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman
In 1949, thirteen-year-old Francine goes to Catholic school in Los Angeles where she becomes best friends with a girl who questions authority and is frequently punished by the nuns, causing Francine to question her own values.The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner
In the late eighteenth-century, Sido, the twelve-year-old daughter of a self-indulgent marquis, and Yann, a fourteen-year-old Gypsy orphan raised to perform in a magic show, face a common enemy at the start of the French Revolution.The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon
Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle
Years afterwards, Ruben Hart tells the story of how, in 1929 Newport, Rhode Island, his family and his best friend's family were caught up in the violent competition among groups trying to control the local rum-smuggling trade.Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
After being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named Isabel spies for the rebels during theRevolutionary War.
Mystery and Adventure
The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
Fifteen-year-old Eli, locked inside a radiation-proof compound built by his father to keep them safe following a nuclear attack, begins to question his future, as well as his father's grip on sanity as the family's situation steadily disintegrates over the course of six years.
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
When fifteen-year-old Bobby wakes up and finds himself invisible, he and his parents and his new blind friend Alicia try to find out what caused his condition and how to reverse it.Trash by Andy Mulligan
A group of fourteen-year-old boys, who make a living picking garbage from the outskirts of a large city, finds something special and mysterious that brings terrifying consequences.Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Jacobson
Abandoned by his mother in an Acadia National Park campground, Jack tries to make his way back to Boston before anyone figures out what is going on, with only a small toy elephant for company.Peak by Roland Smith
A fourteen-year-old boy attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest.Heist Society by Ally Carter
Fifteen-year-old Kat schemes her way into the best boarding school, hoping to leave the thieving antics of her family behind her, but Hal, a former co-conspirator, appears on campus to tell Kat that a powerful mobster believes her father stole art from a priceless collection, and in order to save him, Kat will have to recover the paintings.Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans
Great Books Too Good
to Miss
Whirligig by Paul Fleishman
While traveling to each corner of the country tobuild a whirligig inmemory of the girlwhose death he caused, sixteen-year-old Brian finds forgiveness and atonement.
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen
In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years.The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass
Ally, Bree, and Jack meet at Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, to watch a total eclipse of the sun; but soon they begin to learn a great deal about themselves, each other, and the universe.Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
When his younger brother is diagnosed with leukemia, thirteen-year-old Steven tries to deal with his complicated emotions, his school life, and his desire to support his family.Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
Nonfiction
Can I See Your I.D.? True Stories of False Identities by Chris Barton
Ten stories of true crime, fraud, and adventure, including accounts of a fake Asian princess, master thief Frank Abagnale, and a teen who "stole" a subway in 1993.The Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider's Guide to Careers in Fashion
Offers information and advice on careers in the fashion industry from "Teen Vogue," detailing the career paths of established professionals in the industry, and covering resumés, agencies, education, and other related topics.Show Off: How to Do Everything One Step at a Time by Sarah Hines Stephens and Bethany Mann
Provides illustrated, step-by-step instruction to master various tricks and feats, and details how to draw manga, customize shoes, put an egg into a bottle, breed butterflies, read minds, concoct edible--fake--vomit, and more.The 25 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time by Len Berman
Profiles twenty-five individuals chosen by the author and his panel of experts as the greatest baseball players of all time, and includes statistics, significant moments, and photographs.Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin (National Book Award Finalist)
Examines the history of the atomic bomb, discussing the discovery of the behavior of uranium when placed next to radioactive material, the race to build a bomb, and the impact of the weapon on societies around the world.
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan adapted
by Richie Chevat
Examines the origins of the different food chains t
hat have sustained humans throughout history, discussing how certain foods and cuisines have become a popular part of people's daily diets.
World of the Weird by Tracey Turner
Provides facts and figures about some of the world's weirdest phenomena, covering plants and animals, Earth, encounters, the unexplained, science, minds, the human body, behavior, and things to do.Zombie Makers by Rebecca L. Johnson
Examines real-life accounts of zombies in nature, including a fly-enslaving fungus, a suicide worm, and a cockroach-taming wasp, and related topics.Sports Fiction
Million Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica
Star quarterback Nate's family is stressed by the bad economy, as he worries about his best friend Abby going blind, so when he gets a chance to win a million dollars he is nearly overwhelmed by pressure to succeed.
Shutout by Halpin
Fourteen-year-old Amanda and her best friend Lena start high school looking forward to playing on the varsity soccer team, but when Lena makes varsity and Amanda only makes junior varsity, their long friendship rapidly changes.
Rivals by Tim Green
Twelve-year-old Josh looks forward to facing a true rival in the Baseball Hall of Fame
tournament, but first he and his friends Jaden and Benji put themselves at great risk trying to expose the truth about a conspiracy to bribe the head umpire.
The Running Dream by Van Dranaan
When a school bus accident leaves sixteen-year-old Jessica an amputee, she returns to school with a prosthetic limb and her track team finds a wonderful way to help rekindle her dream of running again.
Boost by Kathy Mackel
Thirteen-year-old Savvy's dreams of starting for her elite basketball team are in danger when she is accused of taking steroids.
Hoops by Walter Dean Myers
A teenage basketball player from Harlem is befriended by a former professional player who, after being forced to quit because of a point shaving scandal, hopes to prevent other young athletes from repeating his mistake.
Beyond Lucky by Sarah AronsonAri Fish is sure that the rare trading card he found has
changed his luck and that of his soccer team, but after the card is stolen he comes to know that we make our own luck, and that heroes can be fallible.
Graphic Novels
The P.L.A.I.N. Janes by Cecil Castelucci and Jim Rugg
After a bombing in the city, Jane's parents move to a suburb where she befriends three outcasts--all named Jane--and starts a group called People Loving Art in Neighborhoods, which tries to enrich their community with art but instead is viewed as a threat.Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi
After moving to their anAnya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Anya, embarrassed by her family and lacking confidence in her body and her social skills, finally finds a friend after falling down a well, but quickly learns there are drawbacks to having a ghost for a friend.The Arrival by Shaun Tan
In this wordless graphic novel, a man leaves his homeland and sets off for a new country, where he must build a new life for himself and his family.Drama by Raina Telge
meier
Callie rides an emotional roller coaster while serving on the stage crew for a middle school production of Moon over Mississippi as various relationships start and end, and others never quite get going.Maus by Art Spiegelman
Memoir about Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe, and about his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father, his story, and with history itself. The first volume takes Spiegelman's parents to the gates of Auschwitz.I Hate to Read
The Dark Pond by Joseph Bruchac
After he feels a mysterious pull drawing him toward a dark, shadowy pond in the woods, Armie looks to old Native American tales for guidance about the dangerous monster lurking in the water.
Rewind by William SleatorNot long after learning that he was adopted, eleven-year-old Peter is hit by a car and then given several chances to alter events that could le
ad to his death.
Payback by Paul LanganBluford freshman Tyray Hobbs, the class bully and tormentor of Darrell Mercer, is determined to get revenge on Darrell, the only boy who ever stood up to Tyray.
Trapped by Michael NorthropSeven high school students are stranded at their New England high schoolduring a week-long blizzard that shuts down the power and heat, freezes the
pipes, and leaves them wondering if they will survive.
Shark Girl by Kelly BinghamAfter a shark attack causes the amputation ofher right arm, fifteen-year-oldJane, an aspiring artist, struggles to come to terms with her loss and the changes it imposes on her day-to-day life and her plans for the future.